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The next issue of The Mirror will be Dec. 25, 2016.If you would like to receive the diocesan newspaper via Email in digital format, please contact Angie Toben at (417) 866-0841, or Email her: [email protected].
The Mirr rVol. LII, No. 17 DIOCESE OF SPRINGFIELD—CAPE GIRARDEAU, MISSOURI December 9, 2016
One Church, East to West: Loving Jesus, Serving Jesus, Sharing Jesus
482 Christ, True God, True ManChrist, being true God and true man, has a human intellect and will, perfectly attuned and subject to his divine intellect and divine will, which he has in common with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
The Catechism in brief
The Catechism of the Catholic Church compiles the living tradition of the Catholic Church and divides it into four sections: What Catholics believe (the Creed), how the faith is transmitted (worship and sacraments), how Catholics are called to live (moral life), and prayer.
Witness of annual March for Life more important than ever
Roe v Wade decision that legalized abortion in the US.
The theme of March for Life 2017 is “The Power of One,” focus-ing on how one person can make a difference in building a culture of life. The theme is intentionally per-sonal, given a vast number of Ameri-cans seem to feel ill-equipped as one individual to do much to effect positive change in current society. However, not all is lost. See March for Life / 10See Planned Parenthood / 11
The Mirror staff Jefferson City
Planned Parenthood af-filiates in Missouri filed a federal lawsuit Nov. 30 challenging state laws that
require abortion clinics to meet standards for surgical centers and for doctors to have hospital privileges.
Missouri law requires abor-tion providers to have admit-ting privileges at local hospitals and to physically upgrade their facilities to meet the standards of ambulatory surgical centers. These requirements were put in place as a safety measure to pro-tect the women who seek services at abortion clinics. Missouri was the first state in the nation to en-act such regulations after 1973’s Roe v Wade. Currently, Planned Parenthood’s clinic in St. Louis is the only abortion provider in Missouri.
Anticipated, Planned Par-enthood’s suit comes after the US Supreme Court decision in July to strike down similar restrictions in Texas. The court determined that the laws were medically un-necessary and unconstitutional.
“We are not surprised by this lawsuit, but are hopeful that Missouri law will in fact be upheld because of its distinction from Texas law,” said Missouri Catholic Conference Executive Director Mike Hoey.
Abortion rights advocates have long argued the restric-tions do little to protect women’s health. Instead, they say, the laws block women’s rights to have abortions by making require-ments so stringent that few providers can meet them.
Mary Kogut, president and
By Linda Leicht Kelso, MO
The first time Grant Bus-sing learned about the annual March for Life he was in the seventh
grade at St. Augustine School in Kelso. Some eighth grade schoolmates who attended the pro-life pilgrimage to Wash-ington were full of excitement when they returned, but Bus-sing didn’t really know what it was all about.
Flash forward to 2016. Now a junior at Notre Dame Regional High School in Cape Girardeau, Bussing said it was his computer teacher’s explanation of the event that moved him.
“She told me [the march] was about raising aware-ness for the children who are aborted across the country every day,” Bussing said. “I really wanted to be a voice for those children. That really got to me.”
Tragically, 57 million ba-bies have been lost to abortion since 1973.
So, Bussing will be on a bus with hundreds of other students and adults from the Diocese of Spring-field-Cape Girardeau to attend the 2017 March for Life Jan. 27 in our nation’s capital.
Founded in 1973, March for Life is the largest pro-life rally in the world, and it is held each year on or near the anniversary of the landmark
MARCH FOR LIFE—Father David Coon and others from the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau are pictured in this photo of the 2014 March for Life. The annual event that witnesses to life is slated for Jan. 27, 2017 in Washington, DC. Make plans now to catch a bus with pilgrims from southern Missouri and March for Life in our nation’s capital. (The Mirror)
Named for Congressman Hyde of Illinois and originally passed in 1976, the Hyde Amendment is annu-ally included in the appropriations bill for the US Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services. The amendment prohibits the use of taxpayer funds for abortion for Med-icaid recipients, thereby reducing the incidence of abortion by a staggering
MISSOURI NEWS
Planned Parenthood sues to overturn MO abortion restrictions
2 The Mirror December 9, 2016INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Pope: Prepare for Christmas by conversion
“When a missionary goes, a Christian goes to proclaim Jesus, he does not go to proselytize, as if it was
a fan who seeks for his team more closely. No, (they go) to announce: ‘The kingdom of God is among you!’”
Vatican City
The proclamation of John the Baptist to “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is
at hand” is a joyful one that calls us to conversion, Pope Francis said Dec. 4 in his An-gelus address on the second Sunday of Advent.
Referring to the Gos-pel reading for the day from Matthew 3:1-12, the Pope noted that the proclama-tion of John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Jesus, is also repeated several times by Jesus himself throughout the Gospel of Matthew.
“With these same words Jesus will start his mission in Galilee (Mt 4:17); and this will also be an announce-ment that will bring the dis-ciples on their first mission-ary experience (Mt 10:7),” he said.
This “joyful proclama-tion” is central to all Chris-tian mission, the Holy Father said.
CONVERSION—Pope Francis greeted pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square. Christmas is a day of great joy, but is primarily a religious event for which spiritual preparation is needed, Pope Francis said. (Photo by Lucia Ballester/CNA)
Here’s what Pope Francis is doing for Christmas
CHRISTMAS AT THE VATICAN—This photo shows the unveiling of the Nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square, Dec. 9, 2016, and the lighting of the Christmas tree. The Vatican recently announced Pope’s schedule dur-ing Christmas. (Photo by Daniel Ibanez/CNA)
By Elise Harris Vatican City
While signs of bustling pilgrims who came for the Jubilee of Mercy are mostly gone, new
signs of Christmas are springing up around St. Peter’s Basilica, including the construction of the large Nativi-ty scene in the middle of the square, and the placement of a Christmas tree alongside it.
A massive 82-foot tree from the Dolomites recently arrived in St. Peter’s Square next to the large Nativity scene currently being built, which was donated to the Vatican by the Archdiocese of Malta and designed by local artists.
An artist from the island of Gozo named Manwel Gretch did the sketch chosen for the Nativity, which depicts the Maltese coun-tryside. The 17 characters in the Nativity, animals excluded, will be dressed in typical Maltese cloth-ing and will be holding tools and instruments.
The traditional “Cross of Mal-ta” will be included in the scene, as
well as a typical Maltese archipelago boat meant to represent not only the island’s tradition, fishing and life, but also the reality that thou-sands of migrants face when risking their lives to sail in makeshift boats to Italy.
A delegation of 30 people from Malta will be present for the official presentation and inauguration of the Nativity scene Dec. 9, during which the Christmas tree in St. Peter’s Square will be lit for the first time.
December & JanuaryPope Francis himself will have
a busy schedule during December and January for Christmas and the New Year.
His liturgical celebrations for December will begin with a special Mass celebrated Dec. 12 for the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Special features of the Mass will include ancient hymns composed in indig-enous languages, including Nahuatl, Quechua, Mapuche, and Guarani.
The Sistine Chapel Choir will be joined by the Latin American Choir in playing at the Mass under
the direction of conductor Edu-ardo Notrica.
On Christ-mas Eve, the Pope will celebrate Christmas Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at 9:30 p.m., and on Christmas Day will give his traditional Christ-mans “Urbi et Orbi” blessing to the city and to the world from the main balcony on the façade of St. Peter’s Basilica.
To cel-ebrate the new year, Francis will preside over evening prayer and the singing of the ancient “Te Deum” hymn Dec. 31 in order to give thanks for 2016, the year that is ending.
On Jan. 1, Pope Francis will of-fer Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, mark-ing both the feast of Mary, Mother of God, and the World Day of Prayer for Peace.
Just a few days later, he’ll cel-ebrate Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica to mark the feast of the Epiphany, and
on Jan. 8, the Pope will celebrate the feast of the Baptism of the Lord as usual by offering Mass in the Sis-tine Chapel, where he will baptize several babies.
To close January’s liturgical cel-ebrations, Pope Francis will preside over a Jan. 25 evening prayer service for the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, also marking the conclusion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, held Jan. 18-25, 2017. ©CNA
It is so joyful because we do not have to wait for the Kingdom of God some-time in the future—we can
experience some of its beauty and joy here on earth, the Pope added.
But the condition to experiencing God’s king-dom—both on earth and in heaven—is conversion.
“(B)e converted every day, one step forward every day,” Francis said.
He encouraged the faithful to convert and pre-pare the way of the Lord in their hearts by examining their consciences and leaving behind the “convenient but misleading … idols of this world: success at all costs, the power at the expense of the weak, the thirst for wealth, pleasure at any price.”
“Christmas is a day of great joy, also exterior, but is primarily a religious event for which spiritual preparation is needed,” Pope Francis said.
“In this Advent season, let us be guided by the ex-hortation of John the Baptist: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.’” ©CNA
December 9, 2016 The Mirror 3
Public calendarMon., Dec. 12 Episcopal anniversary of
Bishop John J. Leibrecht Staff Mass and luncheon;
7 p.m. Intercultural Mass for(6:30 p.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe,Rosary) St. Agnes Cathedral,
SpringfieldTue. Dec. 13 Quarterly meeting, Safe
Environment Review Board, Springfield
Thu., Dec. 15 Missouri Catholic Conference Board of Directors meeting, hosted by the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph
Fri., Dec. 16 Staff Mass and meeting, The Catholic Center, Springfield
Sat., Dec. 17 Knights of Columbus State Officer’s mid-year meeting, Branson.
Sun., Dec. 18 The Homeless Persons Memorial at The Gathering Tree, Springfield;
7 p.m. Communal Penance Service, St. Joseph Parish, Springfield.
Mon., Dec, 19 Roman Catholic/Assemblies of God Dialogue
Thu., Dec. 22 Staff Christmas Party, The Catholic Center, Springfield
COLUMN
Life being challenged as weawait the Source of All Life
COME, AND YOU WILL SEEBp. Edward M. Rice
During Advent, Christians await the coming of the Christ-child and, in the season of Christmas, we
celebrate his arrival among us. Our Savior is born! In the second chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke we read of the encounter between the angels and the shepherds announcing this great event.
And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
This scripture, and the rest of the Nativity story narrated by St. Luke, has moved the hardest hearts and inspired countless works of art for thousands of years. Shortened to “Peace on Earth,” the abridged mes-sage of the angels became a greeting card staple.
But Planned Parenthood just cannot help themselves from using this season, with the most joyful and glorious birth story in human history, as an opportunity to promote abor-tion and contraception. In past years, aping the message of the angels, they produced mock Christmas cards with the words, “Choice on Earth.” Other “holiday” cards featured drawings of
intrauterine devices (IUDs). Is it their intention to imply that the Blessed Mother, finding herself pregnant and unmarried, should have had an abortion?
But this year they have out done themselves. In the midst of Advent, two Missouri Planned Parenthood affiliates filed suit in Federal court to have Missouri’s existing clinic health and safety protections abolished. (See p. 1 “Missouri News” segment for more information.)
If successful, Planned Parent-hood could perform abortions in two large cities within the diocese, Spring-field and Joplin. While abortion is never healthy for the unborn child who is targeted for death, unregulated and uninspected abortion clinics pose a serious risk to the life and health of women. If Planned Parenthood cares about the health of women, and not merely performing as many abor-tions as possible, why are they going to court to strike down these laws? What we are seeing is evidence of Planned Parenthoods true colors and its flagrant disregard for women.
As we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, let us pray for a greater respect for human life in our culture and in the courts.
Christmas blessingWhen he came to us as man,The Son of God scattered the darkness
Bishop Rice greets students in Scott City
FIRST RECONCILIATION—Students preparing for First Communion in St. Joseph Parish, Scott City, had their first confessions Dec. 1 with Bp. Edward Rice and Fr. Joe Weidenbenner, pastor. (The Mirror)
FEAST OF THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD: CHRISTMAS 2016
Bishop Edward Rice will preside at Midnight Mass and at the 8:30 a.m. Christmas Day Mass in St. Mary of the Annunciation Cathedral, Cape Girardeau.
Bishop-Emeritus John J. Leibrecht will celebrate Masses in St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Springfield on Sat., Dec. 24 for the Vigil Mass at 11 p.m. and on Christmas morning at 9 a.m.
of this world,And filled this holy day with his glory.May the God of infinite goodnessScatter the darkness of sin and bright-en your hearts with holiness. Amen
God sent his angels to shepherdsTo herald the great joy of our Savior’s birth.May he fill you with joyAnd make you heralds of his gospel. Amen
When the Word became man,Earth was joined to heaven.May he give you his peace and good will,And fellowship with all the heavenly host. Amen
May almighty God bless you,The father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen
—Sacramentary, *Solemn blessing or prayer over the people,
Christmas-Mass during the day.
Christmas CollectionAs it is every year, the annual
Christmas Collection will go to sup-port our diocesan seminarians and retired priests. We have 14 young men currently in formation for the priesthood! Along with these good men comes a happy chal-lenge: the expense of educating our future priests. The cost for the total vocation program for the diocese this year will be over $700,000.
The Christmas Collection also provides for the needs of our 16 retired priests, some of which still serve in various parishes and ministries. Few things are more im-portant for the future of the Church than supporting the young men who respond to the call of Christ to become priests and attending to the needs of our elderly priests. I ask that you be generous in support of the Christmas Collection.
New Year’s Eve“What are you doing New
Year’s Eve?” we are often asked by friends and family. No doubt, this year will be no different. How about spending an hour with me in Adoration? I will be at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, Springfield, at 11 p.m. in prayer before our Lord in the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. We will have Benedic-tion and go straight into the liturgy at 12-midnight for the Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God. Jan-uary 1 is also World Day of Prayer for Peace. All are invited to come pray in thanksgiving for the bless-ings of the past year and as a fresh start to a new year in our Lord. ©TM
4 The Mirror December 9, 2016
Celebrate Christmas with Benedictine nuns of Kansas City
Vatican’s anti-abuse commission launches new Website
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS
The Mirror: Newspaper of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau USPS Publication 117-330 Publisher: The Most Rev. Edward Rice Editor: Leslie A. EidsonProduction: Glenn Eckl Circulation/Advertising: Angie Toben, [email protected]
Published every other week except the last week in December at 601 S. Jefferson, Springfield, MO 65806-3143. Address all communications to 601 S. Jefferson, Springfield, MO 65806-3143; Telephone (417) 866-0841; FAX (417) 866-1140; Email [email protected]
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Mirror, 601 S. Jefferson, Springfield, MO 65806-3143. When giving change of address, state both old and new address, also old and new parish.Periodicals postage paid at Springfield, MO, and additional mailing offices. Vol. LII No. 17 December 9, 2016 Single copy price, $0.50 Subscription: $14 per year.
Digital subscriptions available as an option to USPS delivery with paid subscription. For more information, contact [email protected] © 2016, The Mirror, CNA, USCCB, The Vatican, as noted. The Mirror OnLine: www.dioscg.org
“Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau” @DioSCG
By Carl Bunderson Kansas City, MO
As the Christmas season ap-proaches, the hit-making community of Benedictine nuns based in Missouri have
released an album full of carols with which to greet the newborn Christ.
“Our greatest hope is that these songs will truly ‘lift up our hearts’ to the Infant King, so that we will always be mindful of His humility and mercy,” Mother Cecilia, prioress of the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, said.
The community’s new album, “Caroling at Ephesus,” was recorded in September, and recently released. It can be purchased from the nuns’ Website at: https://music.benedictine-sofmary.org/. Digital versions of the album are available from Amazon and iTunes.
“This is one season in which there is such an abundance of mu-sic, the only difficulty was in choos-ing which songs to include on this album,” Mother Cecilia said. “We decided to use many on the lighter side—pieces we would sing around
the fire during one of the 12 days of Christmas. They are still sacred in nature, no ‘Frosty the Snowman’ or anything, but include beautiful carols from around the world.”
Sales of “Caroling at Ephesus” will go toward building a new priory church for the rapidly-expanding community.
“The chapel we have been using for the last several years has served us well. But unfortunately, it is not growing with us,” Mother Cecilia said. “Five years ago, there were 18 Sisters,
and with the addition of four more postulants on Dec. 5th, our number reached 31, with at least two more young women slated to join by next fall. Very soon, there will be neither room for Sister nor guests, who are coming with more and more frequen-cy to our monastery.”
She added that the priory is now attracting vocations from outside the US, including Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands.
The album includes 24 songs in six languages. “Most of the pieces are in English, but there are two in Latin, and one each in German, French, Pol-ish, and Spanish,” Mother Cecilia said.
“Along with a little help from my mother, who is Polish by birth, there are enough speakers here of each language now to guide us through the pronunciation. While Latin is easy (we chant in Latin everyday), the others certainly added a challenge to the re-cording, as we have not ventured into recording any other language before,” she added.
Mother Cecilia said that “Among the more recognizable songs are What Child Is This, Good King Wenceslaus, Ukrainian Bell Carol, God Rest Ye
Merry Gentlemen, O Holy Night, and O Come All Ye Faithful. It was surpris-ing to find out how old some of these carols actually are. We had a lot of fun trying out new arrangements, and perk up some others we have been singing for many years.”
In addition, the album features an original track: a Christmas poem written by G.K. Chesterton, “Carol of the Christ Child,” which was set to music by the nuns themselves.
Though the community practices limited enclosure, their music albums have brought them international re-nown and popularity—they have been Billboard’s Best-Selling Classical Tradi-tional Artist several years in a row, and their albums have topped Billboard’s Top Traditional Classical Albums.
Life in the community is marked by obedience, stability, and “continu-ally turning” towards God. They have Mass daily according to the extraordi-nary form, and chant the psalms eight times a day from the 1962 Monastic Office.
The nuns also support them-selves by producing made-to-order vestments, as well as greeting cards. ©CNA
By Hannah Brockhaus Vatican City
The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors launched a new Website Dec. 6, which is designed to help
inform the public about their work, and includes resources for Church leaders on safeguarding children and caring for survivors.
Announced by the Vatican, the launch coincided with the feast of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of chil-dren. The Website is considered to be in the “beta” stage and is still under-going development.
However, the Website already includes information on the his-tory, mission, and members of the Commission; practical resources and Church documents on the topic of abuse, as well as past and upcoming programs of the commission; and news about its current work.
The commission serves as an advisory body to the Pope, provid-ing recommendations on how the
Church can best protect minors and vulnerable adults. It consists of 17 men and women from around the world who work in the field of abuse prevention and recovery, including a few survivors. The commission is headed by Card. Sean O’Malley of Boston.
Transparency educationThe group was first proposed to
the Pope by his Council of Cardinals in December 2013. After he approved the proposal, Francis appointed Card. O’Malley to form the commission and carry forward their work.
The new Website aims to pro-mote a spirit of transparency, includ-ing information on the educational programs and conferences they have given at the Vatican and in other parts of the world, such as a recent presentation given to bishops Sept. 15 during a formation course for new bishops at the Vatican.
Under the Website’s resources section can be found guidelines and practical advice on responding
to complaints of abuse, advice for meeting with survivors, using prayer in the heal-ing process, and how to contact the commission with recommendations or information.
There are also links to impor-tant commission documents and to addresses, speeches and letters of St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI on the topic of the protection of minors and vulnerable adults by the Church.
And finally, a press and media section includes press releases and links to news on the commission’s work.
According to the Website, engaging with the media is con-sidered an important aspect of the
commission’s promotion of “public awareness about the need to ensure the protection of minors throughout the Church.”
The Website is currently only available in English, but will eventu-ally be expanded to include Span-ish, Italian, Portuguese, and French language versions. ©CNA
SAFE ENVIRONMENT—The new Website launched Dec. 6 for the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. (Screenshot)
December 9, 2016 The Mirror 5
KHJMCatholic radio for Southeast MissouriFrom Jackson to the Bootheel KHJM 89.1 FM brings the heart of Catholic Radio to the area.Heart of Jesus and Mary radio!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
ScheduleThe next safe environment in-service opportunities will be held at the following locations:
Thu., Jan. 5 6-9 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . .McAuley Catholic High School, JoplinMon., Jan. 9 10 a.m.-1 p.m. . . . . . . . .Sacred Heart, SalemSun., Jan. 22 6-9 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . .St. Ann School, Carthage (bilingual)Sat., Jan. 28 9 a.m.-12-noon . . . . . . .St. Vincent de Paul, Cape GirardeauMon., Feb. 20 3-6 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Our Lady of the Lake, BransonWed., April 12 4-7 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . .St. Ann School, CarthageWed., April 24 6-9 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Our Lady of the Lake, BransonSat., April 29 9 a.m.-12-noon . . . . . . .St. Vincent de Paul, Cape GirardeauPre-registration is necessary; go to www.virtus.org and click on “registration” on the left or call your parish/school office for assistance; or call Ken Pesek at The Catholic Center, (417) 866-0841; or Email him at [email protected]. Participants must be present for the entire training. Training sessions are for adults only. Schedules may be found on the diocesan events calendar at www.dioscg.org, or at www.virtus.org.
AnnouncementsParishes and organizations are invited to submit notices of future events
to be printed in the Announcements. They will be printed on a space-available basis. There is no fee.
Cape Girardeau—Saint Padre Pio Emerg-ing Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order will meet at 8:30 a.m. in the Saint Francis Medical Center chapel, Sat., Jan. 14, 2017. A fraternity meeting will follow prayer in the St. Agatha Conference Room. Learn how you can live the call of “Gospel to Life, Life to Gospel” in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi. For more information, contact Shawn Asmus, OFS, (573) 204-7688, or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/padrepiocape/.
Cape Girardeau—Twenty decades of the Rosary are prayed for personal intentions and peace, every third Sunday of the month, at 1:30 p.m. at St. Old St. Vincent Church. The next gathering is Sun., Dec. 18. For more information, contact Frances Presswood, (573) 225-7872.
Leopold—St. John Parish Council of Catholic Women will host a Country Christmas Home Tour, Sun., Dec. 18, 1-5 p.m., followed by food and music in the school cafeteria, 4-6 p.m., featuring five homes and the newly-remodeled church. Cost: $10; children (ages 12 and under): free. Part of the funds raised will support the cost of chaperones of the youth attending the March for Life in Washington in January. For more information, contact Norma Parker, (573) 208-8802; Gina Jansen, (473) 576-6595; or Geri Geringer, (573) 208-6445.
Springfield—The Secular Franciscan Fraternity will meet, Sat., Dec. 17, beginning with lunch at noon (optional), then at 1 p.m. in the day chapel at Holy Trinity Parish. This will be our Christmas party. Contact for new inquirers is Steve Moncher, [email protected], or call (417) 861-2109.
In a time of turmoil … Christ is counting on you!!!!
Dates: Women’sweekend-Feb.23-26,2017 Men’sweekend-March23-26,2017
LOCATION:PinecrestCampandConferenceCenter,Fredericktown,MO(www.pinecrestcamp.org)
FormoreinformationaboutCursillointhediocese,contact
[email protected],(573)334-0373;
[email protected],(417)889-8615; or [email protected](573)785-9635.
Upcoming Cursillo Weekends in theDiocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau:
6 The Mirror December 9, 2016CHRISTMAS COLLECTION
December 9, 2016 The Mirror 7CHRISTMAS COLLECTION
8 The Mirror December 9, 2016DIOCESAN NEWS
Redwings soar to Second Place
CHRISTIAN LEAGUE—The Guardian Angel JV boys basketball team of Oran fin-ished the 2016 season with a record of eight wins and two losses during the Chris-tian League play this year, earning its Second Place distinction. Pictured are: (front row) Owen Forehand, Drew Pobst, Lawson Hahn, Riley Schlosser, Camden Hahn, and Michael Eftink; (back row) Asst. Coach Andrew Hulshof, Nathaniel Woods, Connor Watkins, Gabe Dirnberger, Kyle Eftink, Parker Bryant, Nolan Loper, and Coach Kent Mangels.The league tournament was held Dec. 2-4 at St. Joseph School, Scott City, and the Redwings won Second Place. (The Mirror)
‘Give & Taste’ event provides tuition assistanceSpringfield
This year, 2017, will mark the 10th year of the annual “Give & Taste” event. This
fun-filled evening acts as a fundraiser for supplemental tuition assistance to help the children of St. Joseph Par-ish and St. Agnes Cathedral Parish who wish to attend Catholic schools in Spring-field. Give & Taste will be held Sun., Jan. 29, in the Knights of Columbus Hall Diamond Room, Springfield.
Among the highlights, guests are treated to various beverages and foods to sample from local restaurants, cater-ers, and vendors as well as live music. Guests will enjoy browsing silent auction items and the evening is capped off with a brief live auction. One auction item looked forward to each year is the themed “Dinner with the Bishop,” held annually at Jerry Haden’s home.
“Give & Taste is a lovely fundraiser of fellowship and fun, all while raising funds for tuition assistance,” said Jen-nifer Corbett. “The future of many children who seek edu-cational assistance is the focus
of this event where we work to assure that any and all families who desire a Catholic education will receive one.“
The funds generated at Give & Taste are solely
dedicated to defraying tuition costs for families who need assistance. Please make plans to attend Give & Taste, and if you have a donation, please contact Corbett at (417) 848-7633. Online tickets and more information are available at www.saintagnescathedral.org. ©TM
DINNER WITH THE BISHOP—One sought-after auction items at the annual “Give & Taste” event is “Dinner with the Bishop,” hosted each year by Jerry Haden. Held Oct. 28, the theme of the 2016 dinner was “Downton Abbey.” Pictured were Beckey Rolewicz, Genevieve Valentine, Jerry Haden, Bp. Edward Rice, Mary Ellen Bech, Nancy Hacket, Sue Fuller, Linda and Jim Thieman, Fr. Lewis Hejna, Jeanie Emery, Car-la Wiemer, Connnie and Pat McManus, seminarian Andrew Williams, David Emery, Connie and Tom Samsel, Steve Lab-dell, and others. (Photo by Dean Curtis/The Mirror)
Date: Sunday, January 29, 2017From: 4-8:30 p.m.Place Knights of Columbus DiamondRoom,Springfield,MO
Please join St. Agnes and St. Joseph for a fun evening of fellowship. Enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres from local chefs, caterers, and resturants. Live music, a silent auction, and a brief live auction complete the event.
To purchase tickets call Jennifer Corbett at (417) 848-7633 or St. Joseph Parish at (417) 865-1112.Tickets are $40 in advance or $45 at the door. Credit/Debit cards accepted.
To order tickets Online, click on “donate now” at www.saintagnescathedral.org by 1/25/17.
Grandparent’s Day celebrated in St. Denis School
GRANDPARENT’S DAY—Grandparents were invited to join students in St. Denis School, Benton, on Nov. 22, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving Day. Mrs. Mildred LeGrand celebrated with her grandchild, Luke Lovett, great-grandchild Gavin Price, and great-great-grand-child, Ellie Riley. (Submitted photo)
December 9, 2016 The Mirror 9DIOCESAN NEWS
Treat yourself to three days away from the outside world learning more about God—a weekend packed with surprises, new friends, old friends, and great food! Teens Encounter Christ (TEC) is designed for those in a period of transition in order to help them sort out their values, and to encourage them to be open to the Gospel vision.
The next TEC will be held January 14-16, 2017 in Joplin at St. Peter the Apostle Parish. Applications are available on the Youth Ministry page of the diocesan Website: www.dioscg.org, or scan the code.
For more information, contact:Kirk Verhoff - Kirk [email protected] or (417) 489-1089The Office of Youth Ministry (417) 866-0841 or www.dioscg.org.
Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home, Inc.Brentwood Chapel • University Chapel
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Locally owned and operated for over 50 years
1947 E. SeminoleSpringfield MO 65804
(417) 886-9994 • fax (417) 886-9996, [email protected]
CITIZEN RECOGNITION AWARD—Despite being hospital-ized, Margaret Ann Mhoon received her Citizen Recognition Award from the Missouri Catholic Conference. Bishop Ed-ward Rice presented the award to Mhoon in Southeast Hos-pital on Dec. 1. The annual award from the MCC recognizes individuals who promote the dignity of human life through Catholic principles. Mhoon is a member of St. Francis Xavier Parish, Sikeston. (The Mirror)
Sikeston, MO
Margaret Ann Mhoon is the diocesan recipi-ent of the 2016
Citizen Recognition Award bestowed annually by the Missouri Catholic Confer-ence (MCC). Mhoon is a member of St. Francis Xavier Parish, Sikeston. Normally the award is presented at the MCC Annual Assembly, how-ever, Mhoon was unable to attend the event, so Bishop Edward M. Rice presented the award on Dec. 1. There was to be an assembly that morning in her honor at St. Francis Xavier School, how-ever Mhoon was hospitalized for testing in Southeast Hos-pital. Bishop Rice presented her with the award bedside at the hospital.
“Mhoon has devoted much of her life to help-ing others through Catho-lic teaching in and out of the classroom,” said an MCC statement. “Her par-ish members say she can be found anywhere and every-where there is a need for help. Mhoon has held many titles over the years, mostly volunteer, that all relate di-rectly to the improvement of life through Catholic prin-ciples. Beyond her volunteer work, those closest to her say she always has a smile and is known for saying when things or people are not nice to you, ‘throw more spiritual bouquets at them. Things will get better.’”
Nominated for the Citizen Recognition Award by Larry Bohannon, the sup-porting material he submit-ted for Mhoon is below (in part):
Margaret Mhoon exem-plifies what it means to be a Christian. Margaret Ann is a retired school teacher, but began her ministry of volunteerism many years before retirement. Now that she is retired, the services/ministry she provides to the people in southeast Missouri is extraordinary. She visits the prison and county jail, offering time to pray with and listen to the inmates. She has begun to help inmates with their GED, as many will have served their sentences and will be re-en-tering the work force. She has plans for a woman’s outreach program for those in dire need, which is in the initial phase. She recently led the program for the public library’s Spotlight on
Mhoon awarded MCC Citizen Recognition Award
Literacy Grant, for which she refused compensation. She also orchestrated a Divine Mercy, Mother of Mercy Marian Con-ference this past spring on April 22-23 held at our parish for the
region. Her projects reach out not only to our community, but to all surrounding areas as well.
Margaret Ann is an Eucharistic minister, but that is not all. She can be found
EVERYWHERE there is a need in St. Xavier Parish. She is a choir member, helps with sac-ristan work, and has a beauti-ful solo voice that she shares. Margaret Ann helps with decorations in and outside the church and implemented a pro-gram to recognize our military annually.
Here is a list of other volunteer activities taken from her resume:• Scott County Jail chaplain• Board of Directors of Mission
Missouri • Substance Recovery Center• Instructor at Mission Mis-
souri (Job Skills)• Educational Consultant at
Lincoln University (job skills, serving those on probation and parole)
• Community GED instructor, serving adult literacy
• Sikeston Health Care chaplain
• Southeast Cor-rectional Center—Teacher of Employ-ment, Substance Abuse, HISET/GED, English as Second Language
• Lay Chaplain, lntensive Thera-peutic Community, and Mental Health Department Tutor
• Director of Annual Clothing & Toy Drive of East Prai-rie Schools (20,000 items processed)
This person deserves this Citizen Recognition Award because she does what she does for ALL, no matter who you are or what you may have done. As a professor at Southeast Missouri State University, we advocate community involve-ment and giving back: Margaret Ann is THE example of what it means to be a good citizen that promotes the common good. I know of no one who deserves the Missouri Catholic Confer-ence’s (MCC) Citizen Recogni-tion Award more than she! ©TM
10 The Mirror December 9, 2016
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DIOCESAN NEWS/ADVERTISING
Witness of annual March for Life more important than ever20-35 percent every year.
“The Hyde Amendment is strongly favorable with the American people,” said Mancini. “Sixty-eight percent of Americans, including 69 percent of women and 51 percent of ‘pro-choice’ supporters, oppose the use of public funds for abortion.”
Diocesan witness to The Power of One
Participants from Springfield-Cape Girardeau will be hosted by St. Catherine Laboure Parish in Wheaton, MD, where they will sleep on the floor in the gym, said Kath-leen Keesee, President of Voice for Life, the diocesan apostolate that
From Page 1 sponsors the local buses. The next morning participants will all attend a Mass and rally.
Bussing hopes to make an impact with his presence at March for Life and his prayers.
“It is very sad that the majority of our coun-try tolerates the ability for women to chose abortion,” Bussing said. “I hope to maybe make somebody realize the actual impact of abortion, the outcome, and the feelings that go with it, how terrible it re-ally is.”
Amanda Gosche, another junior at Notre Dame, will also be a first-timer at March for Life this year. She, too, first learned about the march in the eighth grade, only at Guardian Angel School in Oran. Her religion
teacher taught the class about the issue.
“She really sparked it for me,” Gosche said.
Gosche was signed up to go to the march that year but fell ill and was un-able to go. This year, she will be on the bus.
“I am really passion-ate about pro-life,” Gos-che said. “I always really wanted to go, and I saw an opportunity this year.”
These are only two of the many students from across the diocese that will participate in March for Life, joining tens of thou-sands of others from across the country.
Keesee said it is very rewarding to watch youth experience March for Life with so many other people, many of different faiths, who come together as a living witness to the gift of life.
“The kids come back home thinking so differently about what it means to be ‘pro-life,’” Keesee said.
Want to go?The cost is $250 per person,
Henry Hyde is an example of the power of one person in sav-ing lives. His Hyde
Amendment celebrated its 40th anniversary in September.
“The Hyde Amendment is a critical, long-standing policy that has not only been upheld by bipartisan support, but it is also supported by a large majority of Americans,” said Jeanne Mancini, Presi-dent of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund. The amendment prohibits the use of taxpayer funds for abortion for Medicaid recipients, thereby reducing the incidence of abortion by a staggering 20-35 percent every year.
An alternative ex-ample of The Power of One: Planned Parenthood marked its centennial in October. In 1916, Margaret Sanger’s first clinic opened in New York City, originally known as the “American Birth Con-trol League.” It was renamed “Planned Parenthood” in 1942, and has evolved into a billion dollar business as the single largest provider of abor-tions in the US. ©TM
The Power of One
I really wanted to be a voice for those children. That really got to me. —Grant Bussing
December 9, 2016 The Mirror 11DIOCESAN NEWS/ADVERTISING
CEO of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Mis-souri, told the St. Louis Post Dispatch in a Nov. 30 edition that lifting these restrictions would allow Planned Parenthood health centers in Joplin, Springfield, Columbia, and Kansas City to offer abortion services.
Susan Klein, legislative liaison for Missouri Right to Life, responded in the Post Dispatch article saying it was “absurd” for Planned Parenthood to challenge requirements to ensure that physicians who perform abor-tions have hospital privileges and that clinics are clean and medically up-to-date.
“Women have not been harmed, they’ve been helped. They’re getting better care than they would without the restrictions,” Klein said.
While it will take time for this lawsuit to play out in the courts, pro-life supporters can take comfort in knowing that many of the Missouri’s lawmakers and elected officials are opposed to abortion and will work to protect the health-care restrictions mandated by current laws, Hoey said.
“No abortion clinic will ever be safe for unborn children, “ said Karen Nolkemper, Executive Director of the Respect Life Apostolate of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, in a state-ment, “but the common-sense safety requirements Planned Parenthood is challenging are designed to protect women from undue harm at the hands of abortion providers.”
Planned Parenthood sues to overturn MO abortion restrictions
“Women considering abortion need to know they do have op-tions that do not involve the destruc-tion of human life,” Nolkemper said. “Thankfully, due to the tireless work of pro-life advocates, abortions in Missouri fell by 36 percent between 2005 and 2014. We stand with the more than 30 St. Louis-area pregnan-cy resource centers, maternity homes, and other organizations ready to assist women by offering free ultra-sounds, pregnancy tests, health care, as well as material, financial, and spiritual support before and after their child is born. We will continue to speak for and offer help to those who have no voice, and to seek legal protections for innocent lives.” ©TM
From Page 1
Witness of annual March for Life more important than everwhich includes meals. Buses will leave Springfield at 1 p.m., Wed., Jan. 25, with the last pick-up of the day in Cape Girardeau. The buses will arrive at St. Catherine Laboure on Thu., Jan 26, where there will be a liturgy and dinner.
Friday morning, Jan. 27, the students will have an early breakfast and take a sack lunch as they head into the city for the rally on the grounds of the Washington Monu-ment. Following the rally, March for Life will begin on Constitution Avenue, around 1 p.m.
Although the afternoon after the march includes a host of speakers
and the opportunity to talk with several Missouri lawmakers, diocesan buses will leave immediately after the event, arriving home by mid-day on Sat., Jan. 28.
To attend, sponsor someone, or simply donate to the expenses as-sociated with the pilgrimage, contact Kathleen Keesee at (573) 334-7298, or (573) 986-3320, or Email her at [email protected].
For resources and additional information on March for Life 2017, consult www.marchforlife.org. ©TM
Leslie Anne Eidson contributed to this article.
12 The Mirror December 9, 2016ADULT FAITH
By Teddy James
Traditions can be a two-edged sword. They can hold a fam-ily together with a common experience everyone antici-
pates, or they can tear a family apart by being forced to rigidly observe something that appears to serve no purpose. Many families probably experience a little of both.
Traditions for each family are different and unique. This becomes obvious when families are connected by marriage. Perhaps one family always celebrates late on Christmas Eve, and the other must be together early Christmas morning. One does Elf on a Shelf, the other does the Kindness Elf.
In her book Treasur-ing God in Our Traditions, Noel Piper says God is the origi-nal creator of tradition. Piper writes how fam-ilies can create new traditions that emphasize Christ above everything else.
During the Christmas season, these traditions take center stage in many homes. It is up to each Chris-tian family to make sure their tradi-tions do more than perpetuate the commercialization the holiday has become known for.
How can Christians, the true celebrators of Christmas, step away from the inflatable Santa and reindeer to press deep into the unimaginable reality of God taking on flesh?
CelebrationWhen children think of cele-
brating Christmas, their first thought is predictably of gifts under the tree. But parents often want events and celebrations that draw the children’s minds away from shiny packages to the Gift in the stable.
Breanne Tull, mother of three, said, “Our family always goes to the
Christmas Eve candlelight service. It is a great way to find quiet focus on Christ before a day of food and gifts. It sets the mood for Christmas Day and helps us set our minds on Jesus.”
Another family has found that fasting for one meal during a season of culinary excess helps center them on who Christmas is all about. It also reminds them not everyone has full stomachs on this sacred day.
But celebrating Christmas can begin much earlier than Christmas Eve. Rebecca Davis, mother of two, uses The Advent Book every night in December (ad ventbook.com). It is a picture book with 25 doors, one to open every night in De-cember before Christmas. It is written to help children retain and retell what they learn. By Christ-mas Day, children can tell the entire story using images from the book. Since it is a nightly tradition, it helps make the family intentional about keeping their minds on Christ.
In addition to reading about the events of the Incarnation, fami-lies do well to read the story directly from Luke 2. Bert Harper, cohost of “Exploring the Word” on American Family Radio, said, “We act out the Christmas story with our grandchil-dren. I still have the privilege of play-ing the donkey that carries Mary to Bethlehem.”
The Christmas season is the busiest time of year for many fami-lies. For that reason alone, developing celebratory traditions that focus on Jesus keeps the meaning of Christmas clear and in the forefront of every-one’s heart.
DecorationsAmericans spent $6 billion dol-
lars last year decorating their houses for Christmas. This is not a bad thing, but it may be a missed opportunity.
Among the bright lights and in-flatables, there is little attention on the babe in the manger. There are many ways for families to use even something as simple as decorations to intentionally draw their attention and that of others to Jesus.
Anita Chamblee, mother of sev-en children and grandmother of nine, said, “We’ve done an Advent wreath for 22 years, and about 17 years ago we added a Jesse Tree.”
The Jesse Tree dates back to medieval times and is used to tell the entire story of the Bible. Typi-cally, it consists of a branch placed in a pot and decorated with symbols signifying different biblical narra-tives. A fruit or apple can represent Adam’s fall, a rainbow the flood, a lamb Passover, a fish Jonah, and so on. Children can help create the symbols every night as parents walk them through the story until finally ending on a manger and a cross. For more about the Jesse Tree, visit rca.org/jessetree.
Other families decorate their mantels or walls with Christmas cards they received the previous year. Each family represented is prayed over all year. During the next De-cember, the cards are returned to the senders with a message of how they were prayed for.
As with celebrations, decora-tions can be meaningful symbols or miserable distractions for turning the spotlight on Jesus. With thought and intentionality, every item on the wall, in the yard, or on the roof can drive viewers hearts toward Jesus.
Gifts“What do you want for Christ-
mas?” The question is asked of every child in America for weeks leading up to Christmas. It is an innocent ques-tion, but it can also reinforce the idea that Christmas is only about receiving.
Many families, especially Christian families, are finding ways of taking the gift-giving aspect of Christmas and turning the emphasis on Christ.
“We always give three gifts for
Christmas,” Kevin Robbins, father of two boys, said. “We started it to cut out some of the commercialization of Christmas, and it points to the three gifts given by the Magi. It also reminds us of the Trinity.”
But giving can go further than family.
“When our children were young,” Debbie Fischer said, “We chose a family we loved and blessed them anonymously. Starting 10 days or so before Christmas, we snuck to the door of the family with a gift of food, snacks, treats, etc. We always made our deliveries so that the family would never know our identity.”
Other families do similar anony-mous good deeds for a family in need.
The world will always com-mercialize Christmas. Unfortunately many Christian families have done the same for decades.
But in Colossians 3:17 Paul writes: “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus. …” That everything includes our celebration of Christmas.
Fortunately, there seems to be a move among believers to find creative ways to celebrate Christ in the season named for Him.
One mother said, “We were blessed by another family’s tradition. They had a small box they filled all year with money, checks, and gift cards. During Christmas, they closed the box and gave it to a family in need. One year that was my family.” Could there be a better picture of a creative and meaningful Christmas tradition?
MoreAdventConspiracy.org chal-
lenges Christians to rethink gift buying and instead present their time and energy to loved ones. Then use the money saved to fund clean water projects across the world. ©TM
This article originally appeared in the AFA Journal, afajournal.org, a pub-lication of the American Family Associa-tion. It is reprinted with permission.
The real gift
